10 Key Components You Can’t Forget When Writing a Press Release

News releases are still a vital piece of ongoing marketing^[1].  They help you control your message, support SEO, and generate third-party content. But, like any content, if not written well, a news release will detract from your brand rather than support it.

Here are 10 key components of a news release that you should remember when writing:

1. Create an Engaging Headline

News release headlines should convey the benefit to your reader. The headline should let the reader know why this announcement is important and how it could affect their work. The headline should also include your company name for SEO and third-party credibility later.

2. Consider When and Where You Wire

When: News that you want customers, partners, and prospects to notice should be released in the mornings on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. Launching a product at a trade show? Release your news the day before or the morning of the trade show’s kickoff keynote so that journalists see your news when they recap the event.

Where: For consistency, release your news from the city and state of your corporate headquarters, unless your release ties to a specific event. If you’re at a trade show or launching a product in conjunction with a larger partner, consider wiring from the city of the show or partner to leverage the larger audience. TREW Marketing announced news at HubSpot’s Inbound conference from Boston^[2], where the conference was taking place:

3. Craft the Lead Carefully

Don’t get too creative with your first few sentences. Journalists, writers, and readers are all looking for the purpose of the announcement. Stick with covering the traditional 5 W’s of journalism in your first few sentences:

• Who is making the announcement?
• What are they announcing?
• When is it happening?
• Where is this taking place or where is this announcement relevant (industry/application area)?
• Why should the reader care?

4. Include Validation